Accommodation options for my mum (and dad) after suffering a stroke

icebergx

Hi all,

I wanted to see what options my mother has with regards to accommodation as she suffered a sever stroke a few weeks ago.
My mother and father live together and own a home together. Both I and my brother live abroad.
Their house is too big for them, and my mother will probably need some degree of care for the rest of her life. My father wishes to continue to live with my mum but, as mentioned, their current home is too big for them.

An ideal scenario would be for them to move to a flat/apartment with care facilities on-site. Can anyone tell me how to find out where such properties exist?
What kind of monthly costs can they expect to pay for something like this in East/South London?
Are there any particular eligibility criteria?
Will the local authority care service still be allowed to conduct their daily care visits?

Sorry, I'm an absolute novice at this so any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

PennyForThem_2

you probably be better posting this in the Over 50s money saving forum

easilyparted

An option would be to have a live-in carer as the house is big enough for one. My late parents did this and avoided care homes. The costs were lower than a care home and they were able to end their lives on familiar surroundings.

icebergx

PennyForThem wrote: »

you probably be better posting this in the Over 50s money saving forum

Thanks, have done so, now.

easilyparted wrote: »

An option would be to have a live-in carer as the house is big enough for one. My late parents did this and avoided care homes. The costs were lower than a care home and they were able to end their lives on familiar surroundings.

This could be an option but we were considering renting out the house to finance the additional support that they would require. It's a 4 bedroom house in London, so the return (plus their pensions) should see them live a comfortable life, financially.

How much were you quoted for the care home vs the live-in carer?

Thanks for your help.

duchy

If you are considering renting this kind of property in London it is very expensive - plus the upheaval of moving . Are your parents sure this is what they want ?

What happens if the money runs out ? Another move to somewhere the council deem suitable for housing benefit ?

atush

I dont know about london, but Sheltered accommodation somewhere could prove ideal. your dad could still live independently and help your mum with the aid of a carer and some home help?

The ideal way for this (and the way my inlaws did it) was to sell their home and buy in the sheltered unit complex. This freed up funds for their use.

Running a rental home from abroad esp if it needs renovations/house clearance is going to be very difficult.

xylophone

I should think that your father has enough to think about without the worry of being a landlord, particularly if there are no close family members available to assist should problems crop up - better to sell?

You parents could consider the option of buying a two bedroom ground floor flat or bungalow in their current area if they like it.

This would enable your mother to have her own bedroom with a suitable bed and room for any aids she needs.

She may well require an adapted shower or bath and lavatory but this should not be difficult to arrange if the right property is chosen.

If they found a suitable property but it needed work, it might be possible for them to arrange a temporary stay in a care home while the work on the property was done.

Alternatively, they might consider moving into modern sheltered housing http://www.which.co.uk/elderly-care/housing-options/sheltered-housing?gclid=CI3PqMGwucMCFebItAod2VIAtg

Daniel54

icebergx wrote: »

This could be an option but we were considering renting out the house to finance the additional support that they would require. It's a 4 bedroom house in London, so the return (plus their pensions) should see them live a comfortable life, financially.

How much were you quoted for the care home vs the live-in carer?

Care is expensive and I think you will probably need to work on the basis that ,sooner or later,your parents will need to access some or all of the capital trapped in their house.Renting out the house is likely to be a short term option,but not one I would recommend

This could lead to them staying in their own house and using equity release if and when they need more capital,or doing as Atush's in laws did.

My parents ( now just my mother) chose to stay in their home and have live in care.We haven't had to use equity release yet,but capital is running low now ,after about 6 years ,and that may need to be the next step

For 24/7 live in care in the South East we are paying in the region of £3,800 a month,if that gives you an idea.

If there is no lasting power of attorney then you should consider registering one so that it can be activated if or when necessary

xylophone

For 24/7 live in care in the South East we are paying in the region of £3,800 a month,if that gives you an idea.

Someone known to me and living in a nursing home in the southeast is paying nearly £5000 a month.:eek: